After planting a billion sunflower seeds the last surviving seedling has been devoured by rabbits. I have a rabbit problem here, they live and breed everywhere, in the hay room, under the feed shed, even the chicken coops. This morning a new litter of tiny bunnies were found under one of the chicken shelters.

I’m beginning to realize what I can plant and what’s a big waste of time. Cactus are never bothered, so I thought maybe all thorny vegetation would survive and planted a beautiful pink rose bush. Well yesterday morning it was nothing more than a near naked bald stick in the ground. Off to the shed I went and got four stakes and some chicken wire in hopes of saving it.

Pink rose stick bush

I hate chicken wire, handling this jagged and unruly material is like volunteering to bleed to death. By the time this unscheduled chore was complete the temperature was 95 degrees, my arms were half shredded and I was toast.

And another thing, why are wire cutters always substandard? I now have four pair, even the expensive ones work hardly better than if I chewed the wire off with my teeth. Ibuprofen should be shrink wrapped to this inadequate time consuming tendonitis causing tool. So all this drama for one little rose bush. Maybe I’m overlooking the obvious… perhaps my forte is raising rabbits, not gardens.

Love this post, humor mixed with desperation! Like any wild animal bunnies are where food and safe shelter lay. Ridding yourself of the bunns will be a chore. They’ve romped your grounds centuries before you ever thought of moving there. They adapt. They eat hay, and you’ve got plenty of that…your garden is their dessert! The good thing is they are somewhat self limiting. A nest consist of about 10. More than that and the community reacts. They are forced to find a new place. I don’t know what to tell you regarding your garden, Elmer Fudd never found the answer either!

They are safe here, that’s the problem. Seven foot block wall perimeter fence to keep out coyote, plenty of water, greens, and now shade that I provide for the hens. At least the hens and rabbits live in harmony… I’m thankful for that.